Solar Powered Sign in a Shady Spot

Intrepid reporter Jon Titus gleefully snapped this photo of a solar-powered street sign in an inexplicable location in his home town of Herriman, Utah. Wonder how well it’s working now?

…and now we know. Jon just emailed us the photos below today (08/27/09) with this comment:

“The sign still collects solar radiation, but check back in about 5 years and lets see how much the tree blocks the sun then. Compared with its neighbors, this tree had a rough season–not much new growth in spite of in-ground irrigation. Although towns can move this type of sign, this one and another nearby on the opposite side of the street seem pretty well fixed. They remind people to slow down near a crosswalk and a large park with several soccer fields. We have similar signs in 25-MPH zones near parks and in 20-MPH zones near schools. Those 20-MPH signs are on timers so they operate only at the start and end of a school day when several flashing lights also alert drivers to reduce their speed to 20 MPH in the school zone. We also have several flashing Stop signs that use photovoltaic cells, but I haven’t seen any near trees.”

Focus on Fundamentals consists of 45-minute on-line classes that cover a host of technologies. You learn without leaving the comfort of your desk. All classes are taught by subject-matter experts and all are archived. So if you can't attend live, attend at your convenience.